Two
New Bells -2006 - The Story
The 'TWO NEW BELLS' hit the front page in 'RINGING
WORLD'.
(Click the link to see a copy)
Two new bells have been kindly donated to complete a peal of eight.
In 2005, two new bells were donated to St Peter's by current Ringers, and these "trebles" were hung in the two spare pits.
Simon Sweeney, a recent recruit to the ringing band, and his wife Mel expressed the desire to donate a bell in memory of their good friend Samantha Hillyard who sadly died very young. The ringers were very pleased to accept. By coincidence Samantha's mother is a bell ringer, and so was able to ring with us at the installation and dedication.
As a result of this donation, past Tower Captain Tom Anderson and his wife Judy were glad to take the opportunity to donate the new treble in memory of their parents from Glasgow and Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
Pat Albon, our current Tower Captain, spent much time obtaining estimates of the costs involved, and finally obtaining a faculty from the St Albans diocese. The ringers were grateful to the St Peter's PCC who had been extremely supportive to the whole project.
Whites of Appleton were appointed as our main contractor, with the bells being cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry Ltd., using Gillett and Johnston profiles. It was fortunate that no great fund raising was necessary as the bells had been donated. The fittings and hanging were paid from our Tower Funds, and a generous sum given by the Bedfordshire Association of Church Bell Ringers.
2. THE NEW BELLS ARE CAST:
On Friday 9th. Dec. five ringers went down to the WHITECHAPEL BELL FOUNDRY in East London to see the two new bells being "cast".
Pat Albon (our Captain) flew down from Glasgow to meet the rest of the group (Jacquie, Judy and Tom Anderson and Jo Webb) on the train at Luton Parkway, unfortunately Simon Sweeney, the other donor, was away and missed the occasion.
The Guiness Book of Records lists the Whitechapel Bell foundry as Britain's oldest manufacturing company in continuous business since 1570 (reign of Queen Elizabeth 1), and our experience was memorable. Four bells were cast together, two for St. Peter's and two for another church. The moulds had taken two weeks to prepare. The amount of metal involved needed 1 huge "cauldron”' and 1 "bucket"! Bell metal consists of a mixture of Copper and Tin - the founder's art relies on temperature and "look" of the molten metal. The huge "cauldron" was moved so accurately and poured so gently that they only had ½ bucket left at the end! The group were allowed to stand only a few yards away. Afterwards, they found their clothes had taken up the foundry fumes/smoke so badly that Pat and Jacquie were not popular at the London Theatre that evening, and they also caused a sneezing allergy on the train home!
The bells were left to cool over the weekend, and allow final tuning and finishing over the next few weeks.
Pictures taken at the foundry (Click to enlarge, use browser back arrow to return)
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9.00 a.m. 27/04/2006. The bells arrive.
This took place on Sunday 30th July as part of the 10.15am Parish Communion Service. The service was a wonderful event and memorable for those particularly concerned – Sharnbrook Ringers (past and present), the donors, and representatives from the Beds Assn. and the Bellhangers (White’s of Appleton). We were pleased to welcome ringer Sue Hillyard, the mother of Samantha in whose memory the second bell had been donated.
The Rector Robert Evens and organist Colin Scott had chosen readings and hymns most suitable for a ringing celebration e.g. “Let bells peal forth” and “Belfry Praise”, and the congregation sang enthusiastically.
Rector Robert had researched the history of bell-ringing and caused much amusement with facts such as “at Canterbury, for example, 63 men were needed” to ring just 5 bells - that was before the invention of wheels and ropes! Imagine the recruitment problems that we would have nowadays!
Rector Robert had blessed the bells when they were delivered on 27th April, and before they had been raised aloft and hung for ringing. Therefore, as part of this service, Tower Captain Patrick Albon chimed the new treble to herald the actual dedication of the two new bells, and remembering the six bells which had been re-hung in 1923.
Young lads played a significant part in the service with Christopher Bishop reading a poem most eloquently, and our newest ringing recruit Sebastian Stenton ringing for the first time on a Sunday (with Captain Pat’s assistance), and he shouted the signal up the tower to start the ringing at the end of the service.
All agreed “The peal of eight sounds great”
The rest of the day was taken up with chatting and reminiscing with everyone – especially old friends from the past, some ringing in Sharnbrook as long ago as 1953.
We were very grateful to have been able to use the new St. Peter’s room and “facilities”. The new building is a lovely design, admired by all past and present ringers, and certainly a most welcome addition!!
At least 50 people attended some part of the day with ~ 40 eager ringers. We were all amused by the display boards and old photos, photograph albums, visitors books etc.
We all had coffee with the congregation, then general ringing morning and afternoon.
A total of 40 had pre-booked the cold buffet lunch and ringing tea, so as always the Tower Captain’s wife, Jacquie organised a sumptuous buffet aided and abetted by ringers/non-ringing wives and the men doing some of the washing up!
A Front Page article (with photographs) was published in "The Ringing World" (the National Weekly Journal for Church Bell Ringers). See RINGING WORLD.
The article described the background to St Peter's bells, the history of the spare pits, the ringers, the augmentation to an eight, the dedication service and celebrations
:Photographs of the dedication day follow:
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Dan & Mary Evans, Simon & Mel Sweeney, Sylvia Lucas
